


Rethink Your Technique

by idrilhadhafang



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Conflicted Kylo Ren, Dark Romance, Declarations Of Love, Hux is Not Nice, Kylo Ren Rethinks His Technique, Love Confessions, M/M, Past Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Past Poe Dameron/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Soft Kylo Ren, Torture By A Third Party
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-12 16:06:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15998681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: Kylo Ren does just that.





	1. Diverge

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Kylo Ren couldn’t help but feel troubled, more than usual, that is. 

He should be focusing on the map to Skywalker. He should be. And yet he couldn’t help but focus on Poe. He couldn’t help but remember his face, beautiful and defiant even as he looked at him. Beautiful and defiant...it was something that struck Kylo all the while. Poe was always beautiful, not just in terms of being aesthetically pleasing, but having a sort of light that Ben Solo couldn’t bear to put out. Something radiant. He had had to leave that light behind when Luke had tried to kill him, when he’d had to flee. 

Now...what if he didn’t? 

It was foolishness. He couldn’t go up against the Supreme Leader. And yet...

And yet wouldn’t it be satisfying after all the pain that he put Kylo through, every bit of humiliation? 

And yet the Supreme Leader was wise. 

Grandfather, surely, would have known what to do. Grandfather didn’t hesitate. (Of course, Grandfather had asked Grandmother to rule the galaxy with him, and he had said no...)

If he was heir apparent to Lord Vader, as Snoke had called him more than once, was Poe his Padme? Every Vader needed a Padme, Kylo supposed, in the end. 

***

Nobody asked any questions when Kylo strode down to Poe Dameron’s cell. He could only hope that Hux’s idiots hadn’t beaten Poe. Not for any personal reason per se, but for pragmatism’s sake. 

Yes, that’s what it was. All pragmatism. It didn’t explain the twinge of anger, the little twitch in his hand when he saw Poe badly bruised and bleeding, but still...

”I had no idea that we had the best pilot in the Resistance onboard,” Kylo said. He tried to sound detached. He supposed he succeeded in that respect. “Comfortable?”

”Not really,” Poe said. 

Kylo stepped forward, surveying Poe, still struck by how beautiful he really was. He was slight and deceptively delicate-looking. He reminded Kylo almost of an angel with clipped wings, which he supposed was appropriate considering how he’d thought of Poe when they were both no more than children. 

“I’m impressed,” Kylo said. “No one’s been able to get out of you what you did with the map.”

“You might wanna rethink your technique,” Poe said, and Kylo hesitated. What did he do in this instance? Torturing Poe...he had never liked the interrogations. But this felt almost unacceptable. 

Slowly, Kylo took the mask off with a click-hiss, and he hoped that none of his vulnerabilities truly showed. Some would say he didn’t need the mask, but truthfully, he needed it. Without it, he was good as naked before Poe. He wondered if Poe noticed anything truly different — he was eighteen when he left, a legal adult but still quite young. Now he was twenty-nine, older, having done more and seen more and stars, how much did Poe know about what he had done? 

Poe’s eyes widened, trying to take in what exactly he was seeing. Then, “Ben?”

Kylo couldn’t help but wince. Ben was a dead name. Luke Skywalker had good as killed him that horrible night. Then, “My name is Kylo Ren. There is no Ben Solo left.”

”But you’re here. You’re alive. You’re...under that mask.” Poe swallowed. “But General Organa never said...”

”Of course not,” Kylo said acidically. “She wouldn’t want to admit her dirty little secret, would she?”

Poe swallowed again. Then, “You’re not just a dirty little secret, Ben. Not to me. Really.” A beat. “But I don’t understand. How could you have done such things?”

Kylo took a deep breath. He owed Poe the truth this time around. Not just vague explanations. 

“Poe,” he began, “It’s time I told you everything...”


	2. Recall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo tells Poe the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

 “It was when I was eighteen,” Kylo said. “The night I destroyed the Temple. Skywalker tried to kill me.”

”He...”

”Wouldn’t? That’s what I thought too. I knew he hated me. I didn’t think he’d try to kill me. We fought, I managed to use the Force to pull the roof down on him. First time in my life I actually did that.”

Poe looked at him, clearly trying to comprehend all of this. “So you ran.”

”Yes.” Kylo sighed. “I thought the Jedi could help me. I was wrong.”

”Why didn’t you come to me?” Poe said. “I could have protected you. I could have helped you.”

Kylo, thinking about it, had no doubt that Poe would — or that at least he’d try. “I thought the Jedi had a right to know. Of course I was called a liar. After all, when one’s a relatively respected Jedi Master and the other’s just a student with barely a grip on their own life...”

Silence. Poe’s voice was soft when he spoke again. “I would have believed you.” A beat. “So you ran. You made your way to the First Order, didn’t you...for sanctuary.”

”Me and other Jedi who’d helped me.” Kylo looked at Poe, tried to focus on expressive brown eyes. It was enough to make him feel more stable, at least. 

“So Snoke...” Poe said.

”Snoke took me in. He promised me safety, promised me a new sense of order. And...”

”Are you happy there?” Poe said. 

Kylo paused. “It’s too late for me to leave,” he said. “You know this.”

”No, it’s not. Come home with me.”

”You don’t know half of what I’ve done.”

”I know enough. And I still...”

”Still what?” Kylo anticipated the words. He longed for what Poe would probably say, was afraid of it at the same time. Should it hurt to even hear it? 

“I love you,” Poe finally said. “Even after all these years. Even after all you’ve done. I know that there’s a part of you that is still Ben, something that Snoke couldn’t snuff out.”

”No.” 

“Yes.” Poe looked at him, really looked at him. “There’s still so much good in you. I don’t have the Force. But I know Ben’s in there somewhere, and I’m not going to stop until he’s okay.”

Kylo almost couldn’t breathe. He didn’t deserve this. And yet...maybe that was what he wanted to hear all along. What he needed to hear, more than anything. 

“Poe...”

Footsteps. Kylo took his mask, hastily slid it back on. Back to the persona again. Even looking at Hux, who had come in through the door, Kylo knew this wasn’t going to end well for either of them. 

“So, Ren,” Hux said, “How long exactly have you been fraternizing with the prisoner?”


End file.
